Things you never knew you needed to know about bananas.
Botanically speaking, bananas are berries! Meanwhile, strawberries are not — they're "accessory fruits." The plant kingdom is weird.
Bananas float in water, both fresh and ripe. This is because they're less dense than water — a fun party trick and survival fact.
Bananas contain potassium-40, a radioactive isotope. Don't worry — you'd need to eat 10 million bananas at once to get a lethal dose. Probably.
Bananas were one of the first foods grown in space! NASA developed a method to grow them aboard spacecraft as a sustainable food source.
The strings on a banana are called phloem bundles. They transport nutrients. Removing them is controversial — some say it ruins the texture.
In financial slang, a "banana market" is one with strong upward momentum. Because bananas are associated with monkeys and climbing. You're welcome.
Banana stems can be processed into soft, silky fibers used to make clothing, purses, and even paper. Zero waste!
Coffs Harbour in Australia is home to "The Big Banana," one of the first "Big Things" in Australia — a giant tourist attraction built in 1964.
Monkeys peel bananas from the bottom, not the stem. Try it — it's actually easier and avoids the stringy part!